The Neverland Chronicles Book 2: Samantha of Nowhereland
by DORK DOG
Summary: SEQUEL TO SAMANTHA OF NEVERLAND. As Sam adjusts to her life in Neverland, new troubles arise for both her and the rest of the island. Enemies both old and new come to plague Neverland, as well as the surrounding areas, and the young girl must make impossible choices which will either save her or destroy everything she has come to know and love. Peter/OC.
1. Prologue

**HEY GUYS! *fangirl screams***

**Here is the sequel to ****_Samantha of Neverland. _****I can almost guarantee that this will hopefully be better than the original story, and I hope you enjoy it! If you haven't read the first story yet then please go do it now. If you don't, well, then, you will have a very hard time figuring stuff out for this story.**

**ALSO: character submissions are still open for those who want to add a character. They will be open until I post the next chapter of this (I won't until I get at least one review).**

**I don't own Peter Pan.**

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**Prologue**

"MISTER WILLIAMS!"

The young woman hollered at the top of her lungs, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. Her grip tightened on her silver cutlass, pinning the man before her against the wall with the blade. A whimper escaped the scrawny man's throat as his eyes darted nervously about the ship's cabin.

"I thought I told you before," she snarled, her voice dangerously low. "I don't make deals with lesser scumbags like yourself. If you want a job done, ask someone of a lower rank to do it."

"Ye-yes ma'am," he stuttered.

"You're a fool for coming here," she pushed him towards the door, waving the point of her blade menacingly. "The Treasure of Vatan is nothing more than a useless fairy tale that people tell their children to frighten them. Now get out of here, before I throw you off the side of my ship."

She hit him on the arm with the flat of her blade, and he emitted a loud yelp. Glancing downwards, the woman could see that she had nicked a bit of his pale skin, and dark blood was oozing down his limb. In the candlelight of the Captain's Quarters, the liquid looked like melted tar.

"Mister Williams!" the woman called again, impatiently waiting for her ship's bosun. He would most assuredly pay for his absence severely, and she would give it to him herself.

"Yes cap'n!" she heard his clipped Scottish accent call from down the hall. A surge of annoyance coursed through her as he appeared through the doorway.

"Please escort our dear guest off the ship," the young woman purred in a treacherously calm tone. She winked at the bosun, giving him a hint of the method she wanted to dispose of the sickly messenger.

"Right away, miss," Mr. Williams nodded and grabbed the other man's arm, and leading him out of the quarters.

When they were out of earshot, the young woman laughed to herself at the thought of the scrawny sailor's fate. They were still in port, so a quick trip off the side of the ship shouldn't do much harm for him. Just as well, they were surrounded by drunken criminals, and no soldiers were around to enforce their petty laws.

Turning on her heel, she sheathed her cutlass and strode towards the large desk on the other side of the cabin. Taking a seat, she propped her booted feet on the table, one on top of the other.

Before she had a chance to relax, though, a knock sounded at the cabin door. Rolling her eyes, she rose to her feet and crossed the room within a few, swaggering strides.

"Williams, if that's you, I'm gonna have to-" she stopped midsentence the moment she pushed open the door.

The figure standing before her wasn't her bosun, or the scrawny messenger. This was a man in his mid to late twenties, with short dark hair and bright blue eyes. He was not richly dressed, yet an air of authority seemed to hang about him in the most peculiar way.

"Can I help you?" the woman inquired curiously, studying his face intently.

"I have a proposition, and I heard talk that you'd be the best lass to help me," he explained with a shrug.

She groaned and turned on her heel, motioning him over towards her desk. Taking a seat, she began to pour a small glass of water for herself. "This had better be good. I've been listening to propositions all day, and each one just gets more and more unreasonable."

"Oh, this is reasonable alright," the man smiled. He pulled a map from his ragged brown coat and unrolled it. The woman found the seas it depicted to be unrecognizable, and she puckered her eyebrows in confusion.

"There is a place which not many have heard of," the man began. "An island which can only be accessed by those who have been there in the past. The very atmosphere of the island causes people to stay the very same age as the day they have arrived. However, there is the bounty of a lifetime in this place as well. It is said that a river flowing through the island can grant a person's single greatest wish."

The woman was already unconvinced. "I'll make this easy for you. Get off of my ship and you'll only receive a few cuts and bruises from yours truly."

"Hold on," the man held up a finger. "I have been to this place before, in the past, so I know where to find it. I have proof that it exists as well, and I can show it to you."

"Go ahead," the woman remarked, gesturing to her desk.

The man reached into the folds of his coat and produced a tinted glass jar, little more than the size of a fist. Setting the container on top of the desk, he opened the lid and gestured for the woman to glance inside.

The moment she laid eyes on the interior of the jar, the young woman's eyes were as wide as saucers. "What in the name of-"

"Shh!" the dark haired man pressed his finger to his lips and shut the lid to the jar tightly. "There are people everywhere who would give their lives to see what you just witnessed. You must keep this quiet."

She nodded tersely. "When can you set off?"

"Tomorrow at first light."

"And what is the place called?"

The man smiled. "Neverland."


	2. Chapter 1: War Games

**Whoa… Has it really been two months?! So sorry guys! My summer has been completely SWAMPED with everything from vacations to dance recitals to even working backstage in a theater production! I've had little time to do any writing, but I managed to crank out this chapter. I will be starting school in a few weeks, and so I'll be extremely busy with that as well. **

** However, I do hope you enjoy this quick chapter I penned down. Please review so that I will have more motivation to write :). Thanks to all who reviewed the Prologue.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan.**

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**Chapter One**

**War Games**

Sam pressed her back against the trunk of the tree, pursing her lips and quieting her breathing. The warm tropical breeze around her blew her ponytail from side to side, her long hair tickling the back of her neck.

"Sam," she heard a familiar, childlike voice call from a few yards away. "Where are you?"

Grinning to herself, Sam slowly sank to the ground. Searching the surrounding area for a better hiding place, she settled for a small bush and crawled underneath it, careful to be as quiet as possible.

She was teaching the Lost Boys how to play Sardines, where she would hide and each one of them had to find her and hide with her until only one boy remained. Unfortunately, she hadn't had enough time to find a proper hiding place before they came looking for her, and thus had to keep quiet under the bush.

A pair of bare feet came trudging along the dirt, pausing every so often for the person to get a good look around. Sam peered through the leaves of her bush and recognized the matted fox skin around the boy's scabby legs to be Slightly. She smiled, being sure to keep her face shrouded from view.

The tropical mid-morning sun filtered through the tree tops, illuminating the surrounding area. The island air was hot and muggy, and Sam felt a bead of sweat trickle down her face. She had learned to grow used to the humidity after several months living in Neverland, but couldn't help but wonder how the natives could live their entire lives in such clammy weather.

Sam watched as Slightly studied the area around him, eager to find her hiding place. She steadied her breathing, careful to be as still and as quiet as she possibly could. After a few more moments, however, he seemed to lose interest in the particular spot and trudged through the forest in search of another place to look.

It was at this moment that Sam felt a strange tickling sensation along her left arm. She slapped at the area nonchalantly, but the feeling persisted, this time crawling upwards towards her shoulder. She dismissed it as a leaf rubbing against her skin and resumed her focus on the game.

_"Sam!"_

The girl leaped in surprise as she felt a sharp tug on her ankle. Whirling her head around, she made out a pair of bright blue eyes from between the leaves.

"Oh, it's you Slightly," she whispered. "I thought you had moved to a different spot."

"I did," the Lost Boy replied, wriggling under the bush beside Sam. "But I decided to come back and take another look."

Sam opened her mouth to respond, but felt several pairs of footsteps thumping on the ground. Clamping a hand over Slightly's mouth, she peered through the bush to try to make out who was coming their way. Several pairs of calloused, dirty bare feet appeared on the forest floor, as well as the instantly recognizable shadow of a very familiar boy.

"Where d'ya think she went?" one young voice asked, and Sam could immediately recognize the speaker as Nibs.

"I really don't know," she heard Peter's voice. "But she's really good at this game."

"Even better than you, Peter?" Cubby asked. He was met with a loud slap to the back of the head.

"_No one_ is better at any game than Peter Pan," Peter said boastfully. "C'mon, let's go find her!"

Sam removed her hand from Slightly's mouth and watched as the boys scoured the area nearby. She had to keep from laughing when she saw Tootles overturning stones to try to find her hiding spot. However, as the small Lost Boy neared her hiding spot, she pursed her lips and breathed as quietly as possible.

His dark eyes studied the branches of the bush, and raced to the other end. Sam quietly motioned for him to squish inside with herself and Slightly, and was silently thankful for not being claustrophobic. There was barely enough room for the three of them, much less all six Lost Boys.

"Hey," she heard Nibs exclaim after a moment. "Where'd Tootles go?"

Both the twins leapt upwards from where they stood examining a cluster of foliage. Peter floated downwards until he was standing a couple inches above the ground.

"Wasn't he just with you, Nibs?" the boy queried, turning to said child.

"No, I thought he was with the twins," Nibs frowned.

Peter opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, Cubby interrupted him. "That looks like his footprint over there!"

Each Lost Boy whirled around to see where the bear skin- clad youngster was gesturing to. Sure enough, Sam could just make out a set of tiny footprints from her viewpoint in the foliage. She frowned, and nudged Tootles half-heartedly with her elbow.

"Where do they lead?" Nibs asked.

"It looks like they lead this way…" Peter trailed off, studying the impressions intently. Gingerly, he stepped beside the footprints and followed them closer towards Sam's hiding spot.

Sam cursed internally. There was absolutely no way that she would get out of this without being caught. Clamping her hands around the boy's mouths, she pulled them closer on either side of her body, hoping that their feet weren't sticking out of the end of the bush.

"Ha!" Peter cried, and Sam's heart sank. "I found you!"

She felt her face grow hot, and wriggled out of the bush. Rising to her feet, she faced Peter, who beamed triumphantly. Sam's face was twisted in a deep scowl.

"Rule number one," she growled, smacking the boy on the arm. "Don't EVER announce the hiding place of another player, no matter what."

"But I found you," Peter grinned. "And I won."

His cocky smile only stirred up more anger in Sam's gut. "You didn't _win_. If anything, you lost for not playing correctly."

"Geez, Sam," Slightly muttered as he pulled himself up from the ground. "There's no need to be so angry. It's only a game."

Sam turned to the fox-clad Lost Boy, eyebrows raised. "Only a game?" she queried. "Isn't that what your entire lives are centered around? I thought everything was a game here. You boys play games all day every day."

Peter frowned. "Well, yeah, I suppose so, now that you put it that way."

"I don't like this game anymore," Cubby muttered. He was met with a chorus of agreements.

Sam laughed suddenly. "Well, I don't think that I specified that it was more fun to play in the dark anyways." She paused for a moment. "And I'm sorry for taking it so seriously."

"Aw, that's alright," Peter winked, clapping her on the shoulder.

Sam smiled, but before she could open her mouth to reply, a loud shriek cut through the forest like a knife, followed by a steady pounding, as though someone were pounding on a massive bass drum. Glancing at the other boys, she could see each one of their faces turning pale and ashen, and could feel her own skin going cold.

"Wh-what was that?" she managed to stutter out the question to Peter, who seemed to be the only one unfazed.

"It sounds like Indians," he mused quietly, and bent down. Pressing his ear to the soft earth, the boy listened for a moment, and then nodded. "It might be Tiger Lily and her tribe. Don't be afraid, boys. They're our friends."

Sam wasn't convinced. "Is Tiger Lily's tribe the only group of Indians on the island?"

Peter had to think for a moment. "Yes, of course…. At least, I'm pretty sure."

Something flashed in his fierce brown eyes, but whether it was fear or glee, Sam could not tell.

"Should we run, Peter?" Cubby asked, the drumbeats growing louder and closer.

"Hide in the bushes," Peter instructed, quieting his voice. "If it is Tiger Lily, we will come to no harm."

The boys and Sam did as their leader indicated, choosing hiding spots quickly. Peter floated up into a nearby tree, and crouched down on a branch. His stance vaguely reminded Sam of a cat, ready to pounce.

After a few moments, the drum beats became almost deafening. Sam clapped her hands over her ears in an attempt to dull the loud rumbling, but it was of little help. Squirming to get a better view, she watched as many pairs of moccasin covered feet strode through the forest. A few strayed so close to her bush that she could almost touch them, but she dared not, for fear of being captured.

When she finally managed to gain a decent view of the redskins, Sam felt her stomach drop in horror. The other Lost Boys around her seemed to be able to see what she was witnessing, and a few emitted soft gasps.

The Indian tribe was not led by Tiger Lily at all. Instead, this group seemed to be headed by another young princess. And their intentions were clear from the red paint which adorned their cheeks.

The new Indian tribe was preparing for war.

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**So… I don't have much to say other than please review **


	3. Chapter 2: A Battle of Beasts

**Hello lovely readers! Thanks to those who reviewed and favorite this story.**

**Unfortunately, this may be my last update for a long time. I am starting school this week, and you all know how that is. But I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan**

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**Chapter Two**

**A Battle of Beasts**

Sam felt an icy chill creep up her spine. From the time she had spent in Neverland, the girl had come to know the Indians as peaceful people, keeping to themselves, but treating the Lost Boys with kindness when the time came. Tiger Lily was a close friend of Sam's, and the girl had never seen the Indian princess- or any of the redskins- brandish weapons of any sort.

Glancing about the crowd, Sam found that she could not recognize _any_ of the Indians in the tribe. The leader was a tall, athletic woman in her early twenties, with long thick hair and stern dark eyes which darted about in every direction. She was beautiful, in an almost terrifying way; a far cry from youthful, friendly Tiger Lily.

As the tribe entered the clearing, the leader stopped and held up her long arms to quiet her tribe. Almost instantaneously, the clamorous drumming ceased. The woman pressed her finger to her lips, and with silent, catlike steps, surveyed the surrounding area. Muttering something in a tongue Sam couldn't understand, she studied the ground for footsteps.

Sam felt herself groan internally. For the second time today, she was hiding and people were searching for her tracks. Glancing upwards, she saw Peter perched in his tree, expertly hidden by the foliage overhead. The only way Sam could make him out was from the dull shine the sun cast on his dirty golden curls. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, and Sam had a hunch that he was considering coming down and introducing himself to the foreign tribe.

Returning her attention to the Indian woman, Sam watched as she held a short conversation with a few braves from her group in their strange language. Then, a few Indians dispersed from the large group and disappeared into the forest.

The tall native woman studied the earth yet again, and a striking young man with red feathers braided into his hair squatted down beside her. She seemed to be explaining something to him, but whatever she was saying, Sam couldn't understand. Clearly, it was something about the tracks, but other than that, her speech was unintelligible.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms grabbed Sam's body and a calloused hand clamped down over her mouth. Her surprised squeal was muffled, but she squirmed and kicked with all her might. However, her meager strength was overwhelmed by her captor.

As soon as she was pulled out from under her bush, Sam saw the Indian woman rush towards her. Glancing down, the girl could see that her captor's skin was a deep bronze, revealing his ethnicity. This made her struggle all the more.

One by one, each of the Lost Boys who were on the ground popped up above the bushes, captured in similar fashion to the way Sam was being held captive. They struggled fiercely, but none were capable of so much as getting their mouths free.

"Who are you, white children, and what are you doing in these woods?" The Indian woman spoke in choppy English, but each word was pronounced perfectly.

Cubby was the first to be allowed to speak. "We, um, live here ma'am. You know the Lost Children, don't you? We fight pirates and live in the NeverForest without any adults to tell us what to do, and never growing old."

She allowed herself to glance upwards for a fraction of a second, catching Peter's gaze. The boy's face was void of any expression, but he gave Sam the slightest hint of a nod. Or, at least, what she hoped was a nod.

The older woman appeared to be calculating Cubby's words. "How did you come to live in this forest?"

Sam bit her lip, sensing that she should speak. "We were brought here."

"By whom?"

Before Sam could reply, a crow sounded from the treetops above. She grinned, and felt relief wash over her.

"I brought them here!" Peter's voice rang out clear, and Sam glanced up to see him flying downwards to meet them. Instantly, the Indian woman glanced upwards as well, and almost leapt out of her skin at the sight of the levitating boy. The remainder of the Indians released their hold on the Lost Children, astonished.

"Who are you?" she breathed in astonishment. "A phantom? A ghost? A divine spirit?"

Peter grinned, standing on thin air at her eye level. "All of them and none of them at once," he laughed. "I am Peter Pan, the Boy who wouldn't grow up!"

A murmur passed through the crowd of Indians. The woman, however, was still in shock. Sam contemplated getting her a cold drink of water and a wet towel.

"What magic is this?" she whispered to herself. "Fish women, sparkling miniature people with butterfly wings, and now flying children."

"It's Neverland," Sam explained. "You will never age here. And there are mermaids and pixies and all sorts of other magical things across the island."

"Neverland," the woman tasted the word.

"My name is Samantha, by the way," the girl introduced herself with a lopsided grin. "The latest member of the Lost Children. I came here just a few months ago, if it's been a few months. Time is so different here."

"I am Kebbie," the Indian woman replied. "Of the Lakou tribe. We came to this place one moon ago." Her face darkened. "Very bad omen happened before we arrived."

This caught Sam's attention. "One moon ago? Where did you come from? What year was it when you left?"

Peter caught her arm and whispered into her ear before Kebbie could respond. "Neverland is not in the same time stream as other lands," he explained softly. "It is not unnatural for people to arrive here from different centuries at the same time. For example, someone from 1578 could arrive here minutes after another person from 2013."

"Ah," Sam nodded. "You probably should've explained that sooner."

Peter merely shrugged and stepped away from Sam.

"According to white man, it is the year 1817," Kebbie continued. "They come from mountains with gun and horse to send us away. We tried to fight them, but they were too strong. Right before they set fire to village, mighty water come up from river and washed over village. After that, we Indians woke up here."

Sam frowned. "If the American soldiers were left behind, and you all came here, then why were you preparing for war when we saw you?"

Kebbie's dark eyes shone with hate. "Because we see new soldier come from afar."

"More soldiers?" Slightly queried. "You mean the other Indians?"

"No," said Kebbie. "We smoke peace with other Red Men. New soldier come from across Great River on mighty boat."

"But the pirates are dead!" Sam exclaimed, a chill creeping up her spine. "We killed them off several months ago!"

"You must've just discovered their empty ship," Peter told the Indians, his voice surprisingly much more steady then Sam's. "Don't worry, its safe and uninhabited."

Kebbie shook her head. "Oh no. We found that vessel when we came here. The ship that we speak of was merely a speck on the horizon not three days ago. Now, we can see that it is a similar boat, and with each passing day it comes closer to the island."

Peter appeared to be absolutely astonished. "Why haven't I seen it before?!"

Now it was Sam's turn to be levelheaded. "Perhaps because we've been too busy having adventures."

"I must go see it for myself at once," he resolved. "Boys, head back to the hideout. Sam, you come with me."

Sam bit her lip again. "It was nice meeting you," she told Kebbie, in an attempt to counter Peter's rudeness.

Before the Indian woman could respond, Peter grabbed Sam's arm and pulled her skyward. Breaking through the canopy of leaves, the girl had to blink for a few moments before she could make out anything more than brilliant sunlight.

"Well that was rude of you to take off without saying goodbye," she muttered to the golden haired boy as they flew over the lush green island.

Peter shrugged. "So? There's no real point in formalities, unless it's the fairy court and they might swarm on you if you aren't polite."

"You should still be polite to everyone, no matter who they are," Sam countered.

"Not to everyone," Peter shot back. "You think I would really be polite to pirates?"

Sam couldn't argue with that statement. "You suck," she muttered, not knowing what else to say.

The wind tousled her hair, blowing several strands into her face and mouth. She spit them out, observing the vast space beneath them. There were no sign of pirates on the island as far as she could see, but she had only been on the island for a short period of time, and thus had not taken the time to recognize the occupation of pirates.

"Do you see the ship they were talking about?" she queried.

"No," Peter replied. "Not from up here." He shielded his eyes and scanned the horizon. "Maybe if we got closer it'd be easier to spot them."

He took a hold of Sam's hand and led her towards the southern tip of the island, not far from Mermaid Lagoon. There, he found a rocky outcropping which overlooked the ocean, and set the girl down on the stony earth. Waves crashed over the cliffs, spraying her with cool, salty water.

Sam put a hand over her eyes to shield them from the glare of the ocean and looked out over the crystal blue water. At first, she couldn't make out anything except a few seagulls soaring over the sea, until something still and dark caught her eye to the left. Sure enough, about a mile and a half across the water sat a wooden vessel. From the distance, it was hard to see exact details of the ship, but it appeared to be of similar make to the _Jolly Roger,_ which she had fought pirates on not long ago.

"There it is!" she cried, pointing towards the spot. Peter looked to where she was gesturing, and emitted a low snarl.

"Pirates," he grumbled, but Sam could see a gleam of adventure in his eyes.

"You don't know that," she explained. "Maybe they're lost sailors, from 19th century England, or America. Not everyone who sails a ship is a pirate, Peter."

"But why else would they be here?" Peter asked, drawing his sword.

"Perhaps they're lost at sea," Sam suggested again. "They found an island to take shelter on. In any case, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go up and attack them."

Peter rolled his eyes. "I don't take orders from girls, Sam. I do whatever I choose."

"It was just a suggestion," she murmured. "We don't need any more enemies."

"I'm going to go see what they're up to," said Peter. "You stay here and make sure nothing happens."

"What help am I going to be if I can barely see them?" Sam queried as Peter lifted into the air.

The boy reached into the pocket of his buckskin shirt. "Take this," he said, tossing a small metal cylinder to Sam. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a spyglass.

"What if something goes awry?" Sam asked.

Peter paused. "Then go tell the boys that I got hurt in battle." He lifted into the air. "Goodbye, Sam." With a gleeful grin, he took off in the direction of the ship.

"That's not very reassuring!" Sam cried, but her voice was carried away by the wind.

Pulling out the telescope, she opened it up and watched Peter descend towards the ship. From the distance, she couldn't make out the details of the people working aboard, and thus had no indication as to whether they were friend or foe.

A lone figure stood beside the railing of the ship to meet Peter, who floated several feet above the vessel. Sam couldn't make out the figure's face, but whoever it was didn't seem harmful. The person brandished no weapons, surprisingly, and merely held onto the railing, seeming to speak to Peter.

The Boy carried his sword in his hand, ready to strike if the people on the ship made any sudden movements. Nothing seemed threatening, and after a minute or two, Sam put down the spyglass to wait for Peter's return.

Another minute passed, and Sam busied herself by sharpening her dagger. Finding a decent sized rock, she sat against a particularly large boulder to support her back. Every few minutes, she would pause and pick up the spyglass, only to see Peter and the figure still conversing. After about the fifth time doing this, she emitted a low grumble and sheathed her dagger impatiently.

Suddenly, she felt heavy footsteps on the ground behind her. Whirling around, Sam could see the leaves rustling on the trees about fifteen feet in front of her. The girl unsheathed her dagger and brandished it in front of her, bracing herself for an attack.

Without warning, a large, black leopard bounded out of the foliage, its ears pinned back against its head in fright. Hissing, it whirled around to face the forest, seeming to not take any notice of Sam. With cautious steps, it walked backwards, careful not to slip on the wet stones.

Sam backed out of its way as the beast came barreling onto the cliff. She saw its eyes grow wide in terror at whatever was heading its way, and felt a shudder race down her spine.

With a mighty roar, another large feline leap out of the forest, though this time the beast was a glistening ginger tiger, close to the size of a horse. It raced towards the leopard, snarling and baring its white teeth.

The leopard skidded backwards, lashing out every time the tiger came close to it. Though he was fierce, the black beast looked puny compared to the tiger which pursued him. The larger cat roared and pounced towards the leopard, narrowly missing capturing it by mere inches. Sam felt a thrill of excitement in her as she watched the two felines battle, mentally rooting for the small black leopard, but knowing there was nothing really she could do to cease them from fighting.

At one point, the tiger chased the leopard in Sam's direction, causing the girl to step backwards in fear of becoming part of the bloody skirmish. However, she soon discovered that she was standing on the tip of the cliff, the mighty waves crashing down over her. Sam tried to steady herself as she caught sight of the frothy water far below, but it was too late. Her foot slipped on a wet stone, and she felt herself falling backwards.

In an attempt to lift herself out of the predicament by flying, she scoured her mind for happy thoughts. The only thing which could come to mind was Peter, and his sweet, childish laughter.

Closing her eyes, she tried picture the two of them in a field of grass, without a single care in the world. It wasn't enough. The sound of crashing waves jolter her out of her thoughts, and she felt herself dropping again. She attempted to try flying again, but it wouldn't work. Sam was falling, falling into a watery, rocky grave, and nothing could save her now.

She emitted a loud scream before her world went dark.

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**So I decided to leave you with a cliffhanger….. literally. *devious grin* Please review and give me suggestions/constructive criticism/anything else. I hope to post the next chapter soon!**


	4. Chapter Three: New Acquaintances

_**Wow, two chapters in a day?! You must have so much time on your hands!**_

**Hahahahahahahaha NOPE!**

**This will be the last chapter that I post for a long while, so please read and review and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Peter Pan.**

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**Chapter Three**

**New Acquaintances **

Peter took off from the ship, the warm late afternoon breeze blowing his golden hair in every direction. His encounter with the ship had been fruitless, if anything, for the sailors seemed to be innocent and harmless enough, just as Sam had predicted. The Englishman who he had spoken to aboard the vessel explained that a terrible storm had blown them off course while sailing in the Caribbean on an exploration voyage. According to him, the year was 1632. After he had gotten over the excitement of a flying boy, Peter had explained that they were in a place called Neverland, and that, unfortunately, it was going to be a long journey back to the Caribbean.

As he soared back towards the island, Peter couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly off. When he neared the cliff where he had left Sam, he could see that she wasn't sitting in the spot she had been in when he left, nor anywhere nearby. It wasn't like Sam to leave without warning, much less at a time like this when she didn't know what was going on.

"Sam?" he called, raising his voice to be heard above the din of the crashing waves. "Sam, where are you?"

_Could she be playing a game?_ He wondered. _Maybe she's hiding somewhere waiting for me to walk by so she can pop out and find me._ Scouring the outcropping, he searched behind every large boulder which she could hide behind or under. It didn't seem like she would be hiding anywhere nearby, and so Peter gave up the search and stood scratching his head in confusion.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something which sent a shock through his bones. Racing to the edge of the cliff, Peter studied the stones beneath his feet with sickening horror. Splattered across one end of the outcropping was a trail of blood, leading to the edge of the crag. It was thick and sticky, swirling around the puddles of seawater like crimson pudding. Some lay splashed across the sharp rocks, making it look as though some poor soul had been gashed against a deadly washboard.

Kneeling down, he could see that the splatters were really footprints- _paw_ prints, if he looked closely. Whatever had hurt Sam must've been a great beast to make tracks like that. But there was no sign of a body anywhere, and it didn't look as though the tormentor had run back into the forest either, for if he had, there would've been bloody tracks leading into the foliage. A great beast had mauled Sam, and both had fallen off the side of the cliff.

"Oh, Sam," he whispered. "I-I'm so sorry."

Something inside Peter seemed to crack, as though his will had been bent like a snapped twig. He dare not cry, but instead stood watching the waves crash over the side of the cliff, numbing himself to the wind and the water. The boy did not know how long he stood there motionless, and barely noticed when the sun began to dip over the horizon, coating everything in deep gold.

Peter resolved to inquire of the mermaids the location of Sam's body, so that he could give her a proper burial service. Having no happy thoughts, he resorted to walking through the NeverForest, kicking at the dirt and rocks beneath his feet. Sam had been his best friend over the course of the past few months, laughing and giggling at everything he said, putting him on the right track when his emotions got the better of him, and lovingly giving him the best advice she could muster. She couldn't be dead- she had too much life in her to be dead.

_I'll ask the mermaids to find her body for me,_ he decided. _If she fell into the ocean, they would know. _Peter paused for a moment in his tracks. _But maybe there's a chance she could be alive_, he realized. _Perhaps that blood wasn't hers at all, and she ran into the woods to hide from whatever was attacking her! The mermaids will know!_

His face broke into a grin, and he took off down the forest path at a sprint.

* * *

The world was a slow, methodical blur for Sam. Everything around her was icy, as though someone had stuck her wet body into a freezer. She shivered violently, and felt her blood grow colder and colder by the minute. Each time she attempted to open her eyes, it felt as though someone had stuck arduous weights on her eyelashes that were keeping her from seeing the light of day. Voices surrounded her, but she had not the strength to decipher what they were saying, and thus they sounded like adults on the old _Peanuts_ movies she used to watch as a child.

Her mind skimmed in and out of consciousness, and when she could feel her body, every cell ached from agony and fatigue. When she slumbered, she was plagued with dreams of malicious beasts and grisly pirates. One face that remained in every dream was of Claw, her slaughterer. She imagined over and over his ghastly smile when he plunged his sword into her stomach, and Sam could feel the icy blade pierce her gut countless times. But always, every time, there was Peter's tear-streaked face above her, smiling, laughing with ingenuous glee.

Once, she managed to open her eyes long enough to make out the blurry image of a dark-haired man standing over her. He appeared to be friendly enough, but before she could contemplate who he might be, her body lapsed into unconsciousness yet again.

Sam didn't have the slightest idea how much time had flashed by when she awoke. She lay underneath an accumulation of woolen blankets, and her back was supported by a canvas hammock which swayed gently from side to side. Her hair and skin were damp, though from water or sweat, she could not tell. Pulling herself to a seated position, Sam took a moment to examine her surroundings with astonishment.

She was in a dark room, lit only by sunlight filtering through a grate in the ceiling. The air around her smelled damp and salty, and so it only took her mind a few moments to register that she was on a ship. Sam took in the dark, wooden boards of the room she was in, the multitude of canvas hammocks strewn about, and the seemingly numerous crates lining the walls and the floor.

Pulling off her blankets, she looked down to see that she had been dressed in a simple, dark blue nightgown, and her feet were bare. Sam had never imagined that she would ever see such clean material again, having lived with young boys for the past months. She felt chills run down her spine as she stroked the smooth fabric. Her long hair had been unbraided and brushed, and hung in waves down her back.

Before she could remove herself from the hammock, Sam heard the grate above her open and someone clamber down the wooden ladder. Her first instinct was to close her eyes and pretend she was still asleep, but she was too curious about whoever had brought her out of the water. So, she sat up as best as she could on the hammock, and watched as a boy descended down the stairs.

He appeared to be a few years Sam's senior, with short dark hair and brown eyes. He was somewhat handsome, in a rugged sort of way, but not nearly as much as Peter. As soon as the boy caught sight of her sitting up on her hammock, he leapt backwards in surprise.

"Sorry, miss," he said apologetically. "I didn't see you there." His voice was tainted with a thick Scottish accent, and Sam felt her cheeks warm slightly.

"Where am I?" she queried. "And who are you?"

"You're aboard the _Starlighter_, miss," he replied, without skipping a beat. "Me name's Jack. I'm the Captain's cabin boy, and he sent me down here to check on ye."

"How did you find me, Jack?" Sam asked, pulling herself out of the hammock. she grunted with the effort, and Jack rushed forward, handing her a pewter mug which she took gratefully.

"You were floatin' about in the water like a piece o' driftwood," he explained. "Cap'n ordered for you to be pulled out of the surf and tended to." Jack paused. "You were wearing the strangest clothing, the likes of which I've never seen before. And your skin was a nasty shade of blue. But we managed to fix you up real good."

Sam took a deep breath, mentally calculating this information. "How long was I asleep?"

"Two days, me thinks." Jack seemed to contemplate something for a moment. "We never got your name."

"Oh," Sam laughed. "My name's Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam."

Jack nodded,, and took a seat on the crate beside her. "There was a boy who came by the ship earlier, and he could fly. Do you know him?"

The question was so nonchalant and sudden that it took Sam aback for a moment. "Erm, yeah, I did actually."

"He says this place is called 'Neverland'," Jack continued. "Such a strange name for an island."

Sam nodded slowly, her brain working a thousand miles a minute to calculate this new information. "Yes, I, uh, suppose so," she said softly, taking a sip of water from her mug. It was cool and refreshing in her throat.

Jack stood suddenly. "I'd best be getting you to the Cap'n," he said. "He's quite curious about you."

Sam rose to her feet. "How did your ship come to Neverland?" she asked, taking another sip of water.

"We were an exploration vessel from England to the New World," he explained. "Unfortunately, we were caught in a dreadful storm in the Caribbean, and ended up stranded in the middle of the ocean. The stars were in different places than we knew them to be in, so we couldn't navigate home. When we discovered land, we eagerly sailed toward it."

The girl nodded, eager to learn more about their lifestyles from her country's past. "What year was it when you left?" she queried, clambering up the ladder behind Jack.

"The Year of Our Lord 1632," he replied. Sam felt a jolt of excitement buzz down her spine. Here she was, on a _real_ exploration ship from almost 400 years before her time! It was almost too much for her to bear.

Before she could bombard Jack with questions about his home, though, she popped her head through the trapdoor which lead to the cargo hold. Almost instantly, Sam was blinded by the brilliant sunlight, and she had to blink rapidly until her eyes adjusted to the sunshine.

The ship was nearly identical to the Jolly Roger, or at least from what Sam could tell. The difference was that this craft appeared to have been recently painted, and its crew was cleaner and better behaved than that of her murderer's vessel. Sailor's dressed in blues and browns bustled about, pulling at ropes and operating the seemingly endless duties which came with sailing a ship. In the distance, Sam could faintly see the outline of Neverland before her, and suddenly felt detached from the island's lush beauty.

"Well it's about time our lovely passenger awoke from her coma," an amused voice sounded behind her, jolting Sam out of her thoughts.

Whirling around, she faced the man who appeared to be Captain of the ship, directing it at the wheel. He was a tall, handsome man with short black hair and ocean blue eyes. He wore a plain gray drawstring shirt tucked into black pants and boots. Though he appeared to be dressed as a peasant, the man had a sort of regal air which hung about him like mist.

"Who may I have the honor of addressing?" he asked from the upper deck, a friendly light in his eyes. Sam couldn't help but wonder why Peter found this ship so threatening.

"My name's Samantha, sir," she said, picking her way up the railing until she was standing in front of the wheel.

"A pleasure to meet you, Samantha," the man grinned. "I am Killian jones, Captain of the _Starlighter._ I am sure my cabin boy has told you of how we came to be in this predicament?"

"Y-yes sir," Sam studdered.

Killian laughed, a pleasant, booming sound which radiated off the sides of the ship. "There's no need to be frightened, lass. You're in good hands now, don't worry."

Sam nodded, instantly deciding that she liked this man.

"Killian!" someone shouted from the other end of the ship. "Will you please explain to me why there's a bloody cutlass skewered in the wall of the Captain's quarters?!"

Sam held onto the railing to steady herself from the boat's swaying as she turned around to see the speaker. A pretty, auburn haired woman in her twenties strode up the stairs to stand on the other side of the wheel. The moment she caught sight of Sam, her hard expression softened.

"Ello," she grinned. "I see you've decided to wake up. Me name's Jenny, and I'm the first mate of this 'ere ship."

"I'm Samantha," Sam introduced herself. "But everyone calls me Sam."

"Well that's a lovely name, Sam," Jenny said. "If you need help with anything at all while aboard, don't you hesitate to ask me."

Sam instantly decided that she liked this ship already.


End file.
